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Matt Cappotelli to undergo brain surgery

Just 14 months ago, Matt Cappotelli was the Ohio Valley Wrestling Champion,
seeming on the verge of Superstardom. But that all changed when he was
forced to relinquish the WWE developmental territory’s biggest prize
and announce to the OVW fans that he was suffering from a brain tumor.

Flash forward to this week. OVW TV celebrated the taping of its 400th
episode, and Cappotelli returned to Louisville, Ky. and the OVW ring.
Unfortunately, he had some bad news: the tumor has grown, and he now faces
major surgery to attempt to remove the growth.

“Last time I was here, I know it was hard…but you guys are my
family, and it’s time to update my family on my condition and
what’s been going on with me,” an emotional Cappotelli said to
the cheering OVW fans before his speech.

WWE.com also caught up with him this week, and Cappotelli explained how the
discovery of the growth came about.

“Doctors have been monitoring the tumor since its discovery, and my
last MRI revealed that it had grown a little,” Cappotelli said.
“I had been feeling pretty good the last couple months, but recently
I had some bad headaches and noticed a little change in my vision. They
told me that because the tumor has grown, my optic nerves had swollen as
well.”

Doctors have advised Cappotelli to have surgery, where they will remove as
much of the tumor as possible while trying to avoid doing any damage to the
brain. The surgery is scheduled for May 1 in Boston, and Cappotelli is
cautious yet optimistic about the procedure.

“Any surgery like this…it’s extremely tough to get 100
percent of the tumor. They’re hoping to get in the high 90s, and
we’ll have to treat whatever they can’t get with chemo or
radiation or a combination of both.”

Despite his condition, Cappotelli is upbeat about the surgery and recovery,
using his strong faith as a foundation.

“I’m glad I’m not in control of this, because I probably
would have screwed this up a long time ago,” he laughed. “God
is in control, and I have complete faith in what he’s doing.
There’s a scripture I read quite often that describes my situation;
it says God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness, and I think
this is a time where I’m at the darkest point of my life.”

Throughout this whole ordeal, Cappotelli is thankful for all the support he
has received.

“It’s been about a year now, and I can’t express how
thankful I am for the fans who have reached out through email or word of
mouth, and for their thoughts and prayers,” a gracious Cappotelli
said. “I really wish I could think of a way to give back, but I thank
them with my whole heart.”